Hood latch



4 March 12, 1940- A. E. PETERSON- HOOD LATCH Original Filed July 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fizz/6727507" flrflurZTPaze 5 f March 12, 1940. A. E. PETEIIIQSON H0015 LATCH Original Filed July 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M Atto rrzgz rp Patented Mar. 1 2, 1940 noon LATCH Arthur E. Peterson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Forging & Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original application July 9, 1938, Serial No. 218,374. Divided and this application December 24, 1938, Serial No. 247,670

8 Claims.

h Another object is to provide a hood latch which will, when the latch is disengaged, initially start the opening movement of the hood.

Another object is to provide a hood latch wherein the latch controlling lever forms a part of the decorative aspect of the car, being substituted, for instance, for the well-known type or radiator emblem.

Cither objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 218,374, filed in the United States Patent Ofiice on July 9, 1938.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l. is a longitudinal section showing the hoodclosed; I

Fig. 2 is a detail section showing the hood in the partially raised position; Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. l; is a planview with parts brokenaway; and l Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. l. Like parts are indicated by like characters in the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, l is the engine hood.

2, 2 are the side members and 3 is the front memher of the engine housing. The hood is pivoted at its front end on a hinge 4 on the front end 3 of the vehicle housing. 5 are pivoted brackets on the side members 2, having a cross member 6 slidable in a track 1, provided with a notch 8, whereby when the hood is raised, the side members engage the notch to hold the hood in the open or in upper position. The hood may be released and lowered by raising it slightly to release the cross member from the notch and then.

a shaft carries a crank .l l, the crank being associated with a connecting rod l2, which rod is attached to a latch crank l3, which is rotatably mounted on a cross bar M, by means of bearings 15. The latch crank terminates at each end in latch members l6, one at each side of the hood, 5 the crank extending perpendicularly of the hood and across the axis of the body.

I1, I! are latch brackets. In this case, they are on the vehicle dash though they might, of course, be mounted on the side panels 2 if delo sired. The latch brackets l'l'are identical, and one is associated with each of the latch members l6. These latch brackets comprise preferably two parallel arms. l8, l9, both forwardly and downwardly inclined, the upper arm l8 being shorter than the arm l9.

The relationship of the parts is such that when the hand lever 9 is moved to the latch disengag fingposition, the latch members] l6 are rotated down into a generally vertical position, their 20 against the stop I4l to prevent unlocking.

Under these circumstances, the latch mem- 3o bers rest upon the lower latch arms I9 and hold 1 the rear end of the hood slightly above its normal position. When the hand lever 9 is rotated'toward the locking position, the latchmembers are rotated toward the rear and upwardly to bring 35 them under the upper shorter latch brackets l8 whereby they look the hood in closed position. Upon opening the hood, opp;osite movement takes place and at first the movement of the hand lever releases the latch, then further movement raises 40 the rear end of the hood solthat the operator can go to the rear end, get his fingers beneath it, and

lift it up.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and illustrateda practical and operative 45 device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative and diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

Because of the fact that modern hoods enclosing automobile engines now in many instances are hinged above the engine and on axes perpendicular to the axis of the automobile, and so are stiffer and more rigid than those of the past, it

has become of the utmost importance to so mount the hood that it will be held in the closed position in rigid locked relationship with the remainder of the housing.

Therefore, the hood which I have designed is,

so to speak, a three-point supported hood. It is pivoted at the front end and adapted to move up and down about that pivot. It is locked at the rear end at two widely spaced points on opposite sides of the vehicle body, sothat a three-point support or look is provided, which insures that the hood will be positively andfirmly seated.

In the form I have here illustrated, the hood is locked by manually operated means. The operator is located, when he manipulates the lock, at a position where he cannot efiectively open the hood by using the locking means as a hood opening handle. Therefore, 'I have associated with the locking means automatic wedging or camming means which initially open the hood and hold it open so that the operator, after he has unlatched the hood, can go to a point where he can put his fingers under the edge of the hood, while it is held open, and solift it finally to the open position. v 1

The arrangement whereby a single control member operates the latch on both sides of the vehicle body is of the utmost importance because, bysuch an arrangement, only one manipulation is necessary and the operator does not have to go from side to sideof the vehicle to lock or to unlock the hood. I

I claim: I H

'1. A latchfor automobile hoods and the like wherein the hood is pivoted at the front end for movement about a horizontal axis, comprising latchmembers at the rear end, a manually controlled member at the front end, and a connection between them.

'2. A'latch for automobile hoods and the like wherein the hood is pivoted at the front end for movement about a horizontal axis, comprising latch members at the rear end, a manually controlled member at the front end, including a hand lever in the same general position as the conventional type of radiator emblem, and aiconnection between them.

8. A latch for vehicle hoods and the like wherein the hood is pivoted at its front end for movement about a horizontal axis, including a latch in the hood is pivoted at its front end for movement about a horizontal axis, including a latch rod extending horizontally and transversely across the rear of the vehicle and carrying latch cranks adjacent each end thereof, a manually controlled member at the front end of the hood and an actuating connection between said manually controlled member and the latch rod, said manually controlled member including a hand lever in the same general position as the conventional type of radiator emblem. I

' 5. A latch for vehicle hoods and the like wherein the hood is'pi'v'oted at its front end for movement about a horizontal axis, comprising a latch rod rotatably mounted on the rear end of the hood and extending substantially from side to side of the'vehicle, one or more latch cranks car-.

ried by said rod, a manually controlled member at the front end of the hood, and an actuating connection between said manually controlled member and-thelatch rod.

6; A- latch for vehicle hoods and the like wherein-the hood, is pivoted at its front end for movement-about a horizontal axis, comprising a latch element rotatably mounted on and movable with the hood and located at the rear end of the hood. an exterior control handle for said latch element, mountedat the forward end of the hood in the same general position as the conventional, type of radiator emblem, and an actuating connection between said exterior handle and said latch element.

7. A latch for vehicle hoods and the like wherein the hood is pivoted at its front end for movement about a horizontal axis, comprising a latch element rotatably mounted on and movable with the hood and located at the rear end of the hood, an exterior control handle for said latch element, mounted at the forward end of the hood in the same general position as the conventional type of radiator emblem, and an actuating connection between'said exterior handle and said latch element, said latch element including a rock shaft rotataloly mounted at the rear end of the hood, and a latch crank extending therefrom.

8. A latch for vehicle hoods and the like wherein the hood is pivoted at its front end for movement about a horizontal'axis, comprising a latch element rotatably mounted on and movable with the hood and located at the rear end of the hood, an exterior control handle for said latch element, mounted at the forward end of the hood in the same general position as the conventional type of radiator emblem, and an actuating connection between said exterior handle and said latch element, said latch element including a rock shaft rotatablymounted at the rear end of the hood and extendinggenerally transversely and horizontally, and latch cranks extending therefrom adjacent each end thereof.

' ARTHUR E. PETERSON. I 

